As more people take up recreational fishing, many anglers are practicing catch and release techniques to avoid depleting fish stocks. Provided that fish are handled carefully, most hooked fish can be released to fight again another day.
To aid in releasing fish, many anglers use a net to hold the fish while the hook is being removed. These nets generally have an oval or rectangular frame that supports a soft, loosely woven mesh material into which the fish is scooped. Conventional fish nets suffer from at least three problems which limit their effectiveness. First, these nets are typically secured to a ting on the back of a user's fishing vest and can be difficult to detach when playing a fish. Additionally, if used from a floatation device such as a float tube, these nets can take up valuable space and hinder maneuverability. Finally, and most important, most conventional nets allow the fish to bend or flop about as the angler attempts to remove the hook, thereby increasing the chance that the fish will be injured when released.
Therefore, there is a need for a catch and release fish net that is small and compact, is easy to use when playing a fish and minimizes potential injury to a fish as it is being released.